


Tattoos

by Malteser24



Series: Mundane Things [3]
Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: A Sign Of Their Love, Clary Helps, Cute Domestic Couples, F/M, Gen, Isabelle Is A Cute Aunt, M/M, Max Blueberry Lightwood, Post Born To Endless Night, Romance, Tattoos, eternal love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-09
Updated: 2015-12-09
Packaged: 2018-05-05 19:26:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5387507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Malteser24/pseuds/Malteser24
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alec wants a tattoo, something he can share with Magnus, a sign of their love and everything they've been through together.<br/>Magnus just wants to know what Alec's getting. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Inspired by this post by 'magnusinstarcityserenity'</p>
<p>Headcanon that Alec had aku cinta kamu tattooed on his left hand’s ring finger for the sole purpose of hunting where he can’t wear his wedding ring anyway.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tattoos

**Author's Note:**

> Slight spoilers for 'Born To Endless Night'
> 
> Does this make up for the gap in works for this series?
> 
> I know barely anything about the actual process of tattooing so I'm sorry if anything is inaccurate I really did not think this through as much as I should have.   
> I have no idea if tattoo's would even work on either of them ... for this let's just pretend they would?

"You want to get a tattoo?"

Out of all the things Magnus ever thought he'd hear Alec say, getting a tattoo was not even a registered possibility.

"Yes." Alec nods, and Magnus knows Alec enough to accept that he's being completely serious.

"But you already have runes all over your body." Magnus states. He folds his hands behind his head, leaning backwards against the headboard. He had a feeling this conversation would be one he'd need to be relaxed for.

"Well, yes, but that's not the same." Alec replies. At Magnus' raised eyebrows, he sighs.

"Runes fade, some are permanent but not all of them, and they're different. Runes speak of power and abilities and fighting demons or the Endarkened. Tattoos are something that both of us can have, and it's more special and ... forever."

Magnus leans over and kisses Alec's bare shoulder.

"You genuinely want this?" He asks, to be certain. There's a warmth flooding him, just from hearing that Alec wants to get something permanent that they can both share. Something different, that no other Shadowhunter or warlock would likely have.

"Of course I do. We can't get married yet, and that's fine, but this is something we  _can_ do now and I want to. I've done the research, I know exactly what I'm getting myself into - I was admittedly confused at first, but I know now and I want to."

Magnus turns Alec towards him with light fingers underneath his chin. Alec's sparkling blue eyes are wide and honest, and Magnus knows if he keeps staring he'll likely drown. He kisses Alec instead, and he can feel Alec leaning into the touch from the moment their lips brush together.

"If you want to do it this badly, then tomorrow morning we'll find someone to look after Max, and we'll get it done. Together."

Alec nods, and his smile is almost grateful.

"Do you know what you want?" Magnus asks, his own mind whirring with what on earth he's going to get himself, the gravity of the situation not slipping by him unnoticed.

Alec nods. "I know exactly what I'm going to get."

Magnus scans Alec's face carefully, looking for something - he's not sure what, but he knows there's something ticking over in Alec's mind. There's a look in his eyes that Magnus hasn't really seen before, a mix of things he guesses, and the only one he can pinpoint is love and fondness.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" He asks, going for the direct route.

Alec shrugs. "Maybe."

Magnus tilts his head, but doesn't say anything more. He knows he'll drag whatever it is out of Alec eventually - he knows exactly how Alec ticks, and what drives him crazy.

"Hm." He hums, sliding further up the bed.

"Come here." He demands, tugging on Alec's hand. Alec obliges, swinging a leg over Magnus' hips so he's stradding them, his hands running up Magnus' torso and chest.

"I love you." Magnus says, because even though he knows Alec understands how he feels, he likes saying it aloud.

Alec laughs softly, leaning down to kiss Magnus gently, his hands roaming Magnus' bare skin.

"I love you too." He whispers against Magnus' lips, before kissing along Magnus' jaw to his ear.

Magnus is certain, that he'll know Alec's plan by the time they go to sleep.

* * *

If Magnus knows Alec as well as he thinks he does, it is only logical that Alec knows Magnus just as well.

Inside and out.

And, unfortunately for Magnus, this means that Alec knows what Magnus is likely to do before he even does it.

They wake up the next morning to the delighted giggles, with undertones of urgency, of their son. They wake up tangled together, wrapped in each other's embrace and the entrapment of Egyptian-cotton-silk sheets.

Magnus wakes up, still unaware of what Alec has planned for a tattoo. And it frustrates him.

"So, you're seriously not going to tell me?" He asks, turning on the coffee machine as Alec settles Max into his high-chair.

Chairman Meow slinks around a stray toy, announcing his presence with a low  _meow._

"Why ruin the surprise?" Alec asks, bending down to run his hand across Chairman's back.

"Because I'm a horribly impatient person?"

Alec smiles, and slips past Magnus to the pantry where Max's food is kept.

"I think that's something for you and your therapist to work on." He jokes.

Magnus shakes his head fondly, reaching into the drawer that Alec had just pulled open for a spoon.

"If I don't know what you are going to get, how am I supposed to come up with something for myself?" He asks, hoping it will be the turning point.

"A tattoo is personal, Magnus, it's something you need to work out yourself."

Magnus pouts, because he knows Alec is correct, as usual, and it's annoying. He stirs the coffee in their mugs, watching Alec feed Max from the corner of his eyes. There's a bloom of warmth and love in his chest, and watching the two most important people in his life, he thinks he's worked out what he wants.

He might, admittedly, need Clary's help, though.

"Do you think Clary knows how to tattoo?" He asks Alec, hoping for a conversational tone so as not to raise too much suspicion.

"Clary? I don't know, maybe ... why?"

"Well, I was just thinking that getting her to do it would be much better than some mundane. She knows us, for one, and her artistry is incredibly beautiful."

Alec turns around, empty food jar in hand. Max is playing with the stuffed toy Alec had handed to him earlier.

"I suppose I could ask her." Alec says, his eyes narrowing a little.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" He asks, his head tilting a little to the side.

Magnus grins, eyes sparkling. "Of course there is. Just as there is something you're not telling me. But, as you stated before, it's a surprise."

He hands Alec his mug, and Alec sighs as he wraps his hands around the cup.

"Touche." He says, almost reluctantly. Magnus laughs softly as he steps closer, one hand brushing Alec's hair off his forehead.

"I'll make breakfast while you message Clary." He says, kissing Alec's forehead.

"Okay." Alec replies, nodding slightly. He leans forward, careful of the coffee in his hand.

He kisses Magnus softly. "I love you."

"And I, you."

It doesn't matter how many times either of them say it, both Magnus and Alec cannot hear those words enough.

Which is the reason behind both of their tattoos, although neither of them are aware of it yet.

* * *

 

"I had honestly, for a moment, believed you were joking." Clary greets them.

Magnus and Alec had just stepped up to the doors of the Institute, standing there barely a second before she'd swung open the doors. Max laughs as he sees his honourary aunt, reaching out with small fingers to grasp at her fiery red hair.

"We weren't. Although, the most surprising part might just be that it was all Alec's idea." Magnus says. He leans forward so Max doesn't fall out of his arms, Clary meeting him halfway.

Max's hand wraps around her pinky, and their delighted laughs mix in the air.

"It's not a bad idea," Clary admits. "I was just a little surrpised."

Magnus shifts Max back onto his hip, and Clary steps backwards, opening the door further. Alec follows Magnus in, already listening for any sounds.

"Where are the others?" He asks Clary, when she catches up with them.

"Simon and Jace are training - at least, they were last time I checked. Iz ... honestly, could be anywhere."

Alec nods.

Clary drops back, allowing Magnus to walk ahead. She turns to Alec curiously.

"Does he know what you want to get done?" She whispers. She's wary of how loud she speaks and how far away they are - Magnus isn't dumb, and there's only so much distance between them and their destination.

"Nope." Alec says, incredibly proud of himself.

Clary raises her eyebrows, and once she's satisfied he's telling the truth, she grins.

"I have a feeling he'll be too happy to be annoyed then." She declares, knowing just as well as Alec does how wary of surprises Magnus can be.

"I hope so." Alec says, and although he isn't doubtful, there is something reminding him that maybe he should have told Magnus, or at least hinted at it earlier than he did.

Clary bumps him with her shoulder as they walk, although because of the height distance, she ends up basically knocking his elbow.

"Do you know what he wants?" She asks, having no idea herself on what she is supposed to be tattooing.

She's also a little unsure of how she is going to tattoo them in the first place. She hopes it will just be like drawing runes, a skill that comes naturally to her. The ink she's going to use is different to that used by mundane tattoo artists - it's something Magnus, apparently, has created, and Clary isn't sure how similair to normal ink it is.

"I have no idea. Once he found out I was keeping mine a surprise, he decided to do the same thing. Although, I have a sneaking suspicion his decision was slightly based off his annoyance that  _I_ wasn't going to tell  _him_." Alec admits.

Clary shrugs. "It sounds fair enough."

Alec nods. "That was my way of thinking."

They reach the makeshift 'tattoo palour'; a spare room that's generally used for storage or as a place for wayward Shadowhunters to stay when they arrive. With no extra Nephilim around, it's the perfect place for Clary to work on the pair.

Inside the room, she's set up a table with a cloth over it, and three chairs - two on one side. There's the contents of a first-aid kit spread over half, band-aids and clean cloths, a bowl of warm water and seran wrap and cotton balls. On the other half, lie a tattoo-gun and what appears to be pots of ink.

"Your doing?" Clary asks, as she'd only set up the first-half of the table.

"Absolutely." Magnus grins. He's sitting on the single chair on the opposite side of the table, Max bouncing on his knee.

The click of heels draws the attention of them all to the door, where seconds later Isabelle strolls in, grin shining and eyes twinkling.

"Is that my gorgeous nephew I can hear?" She asks, heading straight for Max.

She takes him from Magnus, muttering a quick hello before picking Max up and holding him high in the air.

"Hi, Izzy. Great to see you." Alec says sarcastically, although there's a fond smile on his face at the sight of his sister and son.

"It's always great to see me, Alec. And, I suppose, good to see you. What are you three doing here, though?" She asks. Her gaze lands on the table, and her perfectly-shaped eyebrows raise curiously.

"Apparently I have been tasked with tattooing them." Clary explains.

At Isabelle's blank stare, she adds. "Like runes in the sense that they're permanent."

Isabelle shrugs, still not fully understanding but accepting the idea.

"Do you mind if I take Max for a bit, then?" She asks, more interested in spending time with her nephew than with whatever activity is going on.

Alec shrugs one shoulder. "Go for your life."

Isabelle grins and kisses him on the cheek on her way out of the room.

Magnus whispers something to Clary, who giggles and nods enthusiastically. Alec eyes them strangely, but dismisses it as nothing too important.

"Do you want to go first Alec?" Clary asks. Alec shrugs, then nods.

"Sure. I trust that you got the message..."

Clary nods. "Most certainly. I also got the specific style in mind. Trust me, you'll love it."

Alec smiles. "I have no doubt."

He sits on the chair that Clary points to, breathing in deeply as she sits across from him.

"So, due to the incredibly short notice I had to do some quick research of my own, and I think I've worked it out - but I will admit that I'm a little nervous." Clary warns him, pulling on black gloves that cling to her petite hands tighter than her gear does.

"I'm sure you'll do great." Magnus says, his hands glowing a little. Clary relaxes a little more, safe in the knowledge that even if something did go wrong Magnus would be able to help.

"Where are you getting it?" She asked Alec, taking a cotton ball and dipping it into antispetic.

"On my wrist," He says, holding out his right arm. Clary nods, wiping the skin of his wrist beneath his palm.

She puts the cotton ball down, and then purses her lips.

"Could you ... I might need you to swap chairs with Magnus, I don't want to do this upside down."

Alec nods. "Of course."

He and Magnus switch, darting past each other. Magnus raises his eyebrows, hoping to get something out of either of them, but neither Clary nor Alec say a word.

"This is borderline torture." He complains, flopping into his seat. Clary smiles sympathetically, as if to say  _"this wasn't my decision"._

Alec just looks a little nervous.

"So, I'm going to outline the drawing in marker first, so you can be certain of its placement, and then if you're happy I'll start." Clary explains.

Alec nods, his eyes darting over to Magnus' before returning to Clary's. She smiles encouragingly, picking up a black fine-tip, skin-safe marker and uncapping the lid. She leans her arm on the table for balance, taking Alec's wrist gently in her hand.

Her breathing is careful and slow as she slides the marker across Alec's wrist. His shoulders are tense, but he's still, a feeling not unlike nerves filling him - a feeling he hasn't missed. Magnus' golden cat-eyes watch with interest and hidden concern.

"What do you think?" Clary asks, once she's finished.

Alec looks down at his arm, and he has to blink back tears.

"I think I've made the right decision in choosing this, and in asking you to do it." He says, breathily.

Clary smiles, capping the marker so it doesn't dry out. She breathes in deeply, steeling herself, before picking up the tattoo machine.

"Are you ready?" She asks, wanting Alec to be completely certain before she starts.

Alec nods, curling his fingers into a fist on his knee. He wishes Magnus could hold his hand, simply for support, but he also still wants it to be a surprise. This is one of those moments where he just has to do this all by himself.

The machine buzzes, the small needle whirring, as Clary hovers it above Alec's wrist. The sting when it touches his skin is a lot like the burn of an  _iratze_ , heat flooding his veins, centered on one spot.

Clary glides the needle across his skin, slow and careful and precise. Every now and then it pierces, and Alec gasps, low and under his breath. The first time it happens Clary freezes, only continuing once Alec has reassured her he's fine. What neither of them see is the single blue spark that flies from between Magnus' clasped hands. The tattoo isn't that long or extensive, merely three words, and so by the time Alec becomes used to the sting and the burn the tattoo is completed.

His eyes are rooted to his wrist, his gaze never straying even as Clary wipes away the excess ink and studies it herself, making sure she hasn't missed anything. Her eyes flick up, green boring into blue, studying Alec's gaze to ensure that he's happy with it.

"Clary, it's perfect." He whispers, almost in awe. His eyes are brimming with tears and this time he lets them fall, not bothered in the slightest. His arm is red from the needle but even that doesn't cross his mind.

"May I see now?" Magnus asks. He's still seated, although he looks ready to jump up at any given moment.

Alec nods slowly, most of his attention still on his new permanent mark. Magnus walks over slowly, his steps careful and paced. When he sees what Alec had been so determined to hide from him, he sucks in a deep breath. He understands, now that he sees it, why Alec hadn't told him. Inside his chest his heart flips and spins around, and even lands upside down at one point, not that he can focus much on that.

On Alec's wrist, scrawled in beautiful deep cerulean, like the sparks of Magnus' powers, are the words  _'Aku Cinta Kamu'._

Seeing them etched in his beloved's skin, Magnus creates new meaning for the words.

Instead of a painful reminder of his parents and his birth country, or the time he made the biggest mistake of his life because of a lack of communication and his own pride, actions that turned his broken heart into a shattered one - Magnus now sees the words in the way they should be intended.

A phrase of love to the one who changed him, his first of many things, now an eternal piece of artwork, a constant reminder of just how they feel for each other, of how far they've come. Now, Magnus will forever be a part of Alec, his love will exist in a way far more visible than just in his heart.

Seeing Alec's tattoo enforces the decision Magnus made for his own.

"I can see why you wanted it to be a surprise," He whispers, his head inches from Alec's, his voice sending pleasant shivers down Alec's neck.

"You're not mad?" Alec asks, just as quietly.

Clary keeps her eyes downcast, wrapping Alec's wrist in silence, allowing them their moment.

"Of course not, Alexander." Magnus assures him. "I understand, and I think it's beautiful. I also think I might have just fallen even more in love with you, which I honestly thought was impossible by this point."

Alec turns his head, and kisses Magnus, short and soft and sweet.

"I love you," He whispers, his eyes locked onto Magnus'.

"Always." Magnus replies, kissing Alec's nose gently.

"Thank you Clary, it looks incredible." Alec says, turning to Clary, whose cheeks have brightened with a light flush.

"I'm just glad it worked out." She replies, her bright green eyes sparkling with delight.

Alec smiles at her, before vacating the seat and taking the one Magnus had previously sat on.

Clary takes a deep breath, and then turns to Magnus, who greets her with a gentle smile.

"Guess it's my turn then, biscuit?"

Clary shakes her head fondly at the nickname, and motions for him to sit down.

"So, what are you getting?"

Magnus grins and leans forward, whispering his plan into her ear.

Clary sighs in relief and nods, her posture and her features much more relaxed than they had been minutes ago.

"Now that, is more my style." She says.

Magnus is perfectly still as Clary repeats the motions she used on Alec, cleansing and preparing. She doesn't trace an outline first, because unlike with Alec's she is perfectly sure of what she is doing, and far more comfortable with the idea.

"Ready?" She asks, and Magnus nods immediately.

The tattoo gun whirs to life. Clary glides it across Magnus' golden-brown skin with practised and skilled ease. He bites his bottom lip gently, the pain an unusual and unfamilair sensation - not entirely uncomfortable, but more something he isn't used to.

His tattoo takes longer than Alec's did, because it is not words, and it's relatively larger. It doesn't take too long before Clary is done with it however. She wipes away the excess ink just as she did with Alec's, tilting her head like a perched bird as she inspects it further.

"That came out better than I thought." She declares, leaning back in her chair with a prideful smile.

Magnus' smile is grateful when he thanks her, but it soon drifts into one of awe and fondness not unlike the one Alec himself had worn.

"Do you want to come see?" He asks Alec, prefering not to stand up just yet in case his legs have turned to jelly like he suspects.

"Oh, sure." Alec nods, walking over. He gasps a little in surprise, and Magnus immediately slips his bare arm around his waist.

It's a rune, ink-black like the ones that scatter Alec's skin, but it is in itself a rune like no other previously existing one. The loops and swirls are that of the alliance rune that Alec had drawn on them both back in the Mortal War, however Alec can see the love rune in the centre of the tattoo, remembers seeing it in a book when he was still pining after Jace, because he'd never thought he'd ever be able to wear it himself.

"I sort of merged the two runes together." Clary explains, her voice soft and quiet, as if speaking normally would break the spell that has settled over them.

"I wasn't entirely sure it would work, but my hand sort of just glided. Guess it's my 'special talent' or something, helping."

"It's gorgeous, Clary, you deserve a medal or something." Alec says, and he thinks if he cries again he might just have to pinch himself or something.

"Happy to help." Clary smiles.

"Alec's right," Magnus adds. "You've done a wonderful job. We'll have to find something to properly show our gratitude."

"You don't-" Clary begins, but Alec quickly jumps in.

"Magnus is right, this means a lot to both of us, you deserve something as a sign of our gratitude."

Clary just smiles shyly. Alec mentions something about finding Isabelle, and Max, before darting off. Clary takes Magnus' wrist again, this time to wrap it up to prevent infection. She explains to Magnus the conditions for looking after it, all tips she'd found on the internet, and Magnus promises they'll both adhere strictly to the instructions.

As he helps her clear up the equipment, he finds his gaze continously straying to his wrist, even wrapped up as it is. A smile graces his lips, and he allows it to settle there, in it's rightful place.

It almost amuses him, how he'd never even pondered the idea of a tattoo before, the prospect far too simple and mundane. Besides all of that, he'd never really had much of a reason to before. It seems to be just another thing for him to add to the list of ways Alec has changed his life - all of them, for the better.

He knows he'd be nowhere near the kind of person he is, if he hadn't of met Alec.

He also knows, that he's much happier with the person he currently is - the person that Alec is in love with.

**Author's Note:**

> If you could kindly pretend Magnus' alliance rune was drawn onto his left wrist, that would be wonderful. Oh, and also that it was 'the mortal war' because I honestly can't remember.


End file.
